The bright and the dark sides of selfie

Admit it. People are just fond of making selfies and posting them in social networks. This doesn’t speak for ultimate narcissism, because many people equally like when others post their “self-photos”.

Why selfie has become so mega-popular? On the one hand, one has to admit that a self-photo provides people with an easy opportunity to make a claim about themselves to the whole world, to demonstrate their best sides, to express themselves. Moreover, the photo exchange has become a new form of communication.

Looking from the other point of view, we may start thinking that the author of countless posted self-portraits is making a lazy attempt to hunt for compliments. Some negative comments to this kind of images prove this.

The bright side of selfie

In fact, you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable if you want to make a selfie. A reasonable portion of vanity won’t make its owner any harm, while it may help a person with the deflated self-esteem to become more self-confident.

Many girls post the results of their achievements in networks after mastering the art of make-up. And this is not just a pretty face, it’s a great opportunity to showcase their talent; and in some cases, it can give a start to the career as a make-up artist or a model.

It’s simply a must to remember family holidays, gatherings with friends, unforgettable images brought home from vacations. Selfies – is a wonderful way to compile an album of the best life moments and achievements, which is nice by itself.

The dark side of selfie

But one has to admit that there are negative sides as well. The irresistible wish to take pictures of themselves on any kind of a background can sometimes become the top of indecency and in some cases may even be shocking. Anyone can get into an awkward situation in public, and in this moment no one would want to act as a background for someone else’s photo-bomb. There are known cases, when young people made selfies at a funeral, on the background of the dead relatives.

Having once caught a unique shot, these “treasure hunters” lose control, the sense of decency and go beyond reality, devoting their lives to pursuing a fleeting sensation. Unique moments of life therefore are called unique, because they occur very rarely. And this makes desperate photographers deliberately create acute situations and make extreme selfies.

The rapidly growing popularity of this form of self-expression makes psychologists and specialists in related disciplines give a close look into the new phenomenon. Some of them consider this to be an illness. At the present stage, it’s assumed that selfie – is a hobby, but researchers warn that a serious addiction may develop in immature individuals, which will lead to pathologies in personal development and problems with communication.